Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State University volleyball team (8-2) hosted Saint Elizabeth (4-8) and Merchant Marine (7-4) for a Saturday tri-match, earning a pair of 3-1 victories.

VS. SAINT ELIZABETH
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After jumping out to a 5-3 lead, Montclair took control with a 12-2 run to build a commanding 17-5 advantage. Five different Red Hawks registered kills during the stretch, led by three from BRYN BAUTISTA. The Red Hawks never looked back, cruising to a 25-9 opening-set win while hitting .423 with 14 kills.
• The second set was tightly contested early before Montclair used a 7-1 run, highlighted by three kills from KASEY TRZASKA, to go up 12-5. Saint Elizabeth responded with five straight points to pull within two, and the teams traded points up to 17-15. Four consecutive Montclair points pushed the margin to 21-15, but the Eagles roared back with an 8-2 run to tie things at 23. After the teams exchanged points to force extra play at 25-25, Saint Elizabeth closed it out with a kill and service ace to take the set, 27-25.
• Montclair answered in set three with a dominant start, scoring 10 straight points behind two kills and two aces from Bautista. The Red Hawks built a 21-5 lead, but Saint Elizabeth fought back, winning 10 of the next 13 points to close the gap to 24-15. A service error ended the comeback bid as Montclair secured a 25-15 win.
• The fourth set was even at 10-10 before a LILY THOMAS kill sparked a decisive 12-1 run that put Montclair ahead 22-11. The Eagles added one more point before the Red Hawks closed on a 3-0 run, capped by two kills from CAMRYN MUUSS and an ace from EMMA HATCHER, to clinch the match.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Bautista and Muuss each notched double-doubles. Bautista tallied 15 kills and 15 digs, while Muuss recorded 11 kills and 12 digs.
• LUCY CORNELIUS posted a career-high 41 assists to go along with five kills, two aces, and two blocks.
• Thomas added eight kills and a team-best five blocks.

VS. MERCHANT MARINE
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opening set was tight early, with Merchant Marine holding a slim 8-7 lead before reeling off eight straight points to go ahead 16-7. SOFIA DIPROFIO helped Montclair claw back with three points, and the Red Hawks later cut the deficit to 20-17 on a 4-0 run. However, the Mariners held on for a 25-22 win.
• Set two featured three lead changes and four ties through 6-6. USMMA pulled ahead 10-6, but Montclair responded with eight consecutive points to grab an 18-12 lead, fueled by two kills apiece from Muuss and DiProfio. The Red Hawks never trailed again, evening the match with a 25-22 victory.
• Montclair controlled much of set three, stretching a 15-9 lead before Merchant Marine cut it to 16-13. The Red Hawks then closed on a dominant 9-1 run to take the set, 25-14.
• Riding that momentum, Montclair opened set four with an 8-2 surge. USMMA closed to within 12-8, but Thomas stopped the rally with a kill. Leading 15-10, the Red Hawks went on a 5-1 run to extend the margin to 20-11 and finished the match with a 25-17 win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Muuss followed her first-match double-double with a season-high 17 kills, adding six digs and two blocks.
• Cornelius dished out 35 assists, while Hatcher anchored the defense with 18 digs.
• Bautista nearly recorded a second double-double of the day, finishing with nine kills and 17 digs.
• Montclair improved to 8-2 on the season, with all eight victories coming at home.

FROM THE COURT
"We had a solid Saturday with two wins. I thought we could have played a bit cleaner at times, but we made adjustments to overcome some adversity and prevail with the match wins. We are in a good place heading into conference play next week." – Head Coach Eduardo Stawinski

UP NEXT
Montclair opens New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Tuesday, September 23, when they travel to Wayne to face rival William Paterson at 7:00 p.m.